The FAA granted Amazon's request to test delivery drones in a letter posted on the agency's website today.

Amazon must keep flights at an altitude of no more than 400 feet (120 metres) and no faster than 100 miles per hour (160 km per hour), according to the letter.

The company has been pursuing its goal of sending packages to customers by air, using small, self-piloted aircraft, even as it faces public concern about safety and privacy.

The company wants to use drones to deliver packages to its customers over distances of 10 miles (16 km) or more, which would require drones to travel autonomously while equipped with technology to avoid collisions with other aircraft.

In February, the FAA proposed long-awaited rules to try to set US guidelines for drones, addressing growing interest from both individual and corporations in using unmanned aerial vehicles.

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